3rd Grade

This was a quick project that only a couple of my 3rd grade classes got to do. I used it as a filler because we lost a few of our art classes due to practicing for the winter concert (which they did fabulous at!). Mr. Harper was an American illustrator who is most well-known for his depictions of wildlife. His works are featured often in calendars, prints, and books. He referred to his style as minimal realism. This meant that he attempted to depict his animals as realistically as he could with as few shapes, colors, lines, and textures as he could.

To get this project rolling, students chose a pastel colored background. Then they cut some curves into a white sheet of paper which created our snowy ground. Then we used newspaper to cut various shaped triangles out which we then glued together to become trees. The white newspaper with the black text made for a good birch tree effect.

On our second day, we began to create our cardinals. We took a look at how Mr. Harper used simple shapes to create more elaborate pictures. Our cardinals could be broken down into tear-shaped bodies with curved wings. A black "mask" and beak were added to each bird.

On the final day, we finished up our birds. We added a couple details to the birds with sharpies, such as eyes, legs, and feathers. Lastly, we used white paint and Q-tips to create some falling snow.